Hong Kong: Handover protestors released
Several activists who were detained for staging a protests ahead of territory’s handover anniversary have been released by Hong Kong police.
The city has been holding a series of lavish events in order to mark 20 years since it was handed back to China by Britain. The Chinese President Xi Jinping is also in Hong Kong and the President inspected troops at a local garrison on Friday morning. The President is expected to attend a banquet later.
With a tense political climate and large planned protests, Security has been beefed up.
On Wednesday, 28th June 2017, pro-democracy activists which included student leader Joshua Wong and legislator Nathan Law had surrounded and climbed into a golden sculpture of a bauhinia flower, Hong Kong’s emblem.
The sculpture which is sitting by the city’s harbourfront, had been a gift from China and an iconic landmark which symbolises the handover.
26 activists had been later arrested by the Police, the activists had been calling for greater political freedoms and protesting against the perceived growing influence of Beijing. They had also called for the release of terminally ill Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.
The political party Demosisto, which had been founded by Mr Wong and Mr Law, said on its Twitter account on Friday morning that all its arrested members were released.
Mr Wong tweeted that he was detained for “breaking the ‘public nuisance’ law.”
The Police in a statement said that the activists had been released on bail and must report back to police in September. According to reports they have not been charged.
The protest was the second one in this week at the monument. Earlier the activists had draped a large black flag over the sculpture and had been stopped by the police.
Several of demonstrations, which include the annual 1st July pro-democracy march, have been planned for this weekend.
A growing concern among the activists is that the Chinese central government is undermining Hong Kong’s more politically liberal traditions, despite the promises which insured to give it a high degree of autonomy under the “one country, two systems” principle.
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